Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that he spoke with Russian businessman Roman Abramovich and told him he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin in any format. Zelenskiy also clearly stated that Ukraine will not withdraw from Donbas.
Zelenskiy explained that Abramovich came to Kyiv carrying a message he wanted to deliver to Putin. According to him, Abramovich requested that the message remain confidential and not be disclosed to the public.
Zelenskiy said this did not matter to him, whether the contact was public or private, it made no difference. However, he noted that most of the time, whatever the Russian side says "let it stay between us" ends up being widely known shortly after.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the main issue in the talks was not the Ukrainian side, but that the war is being waged on Ukrainian territory. Regarding Donbas, he spoke clearly, stating his country will not withdraw from its own land.
Zelenskiy conveyed that he rejects any military withdrawal option, saying, "We will not give you victory this way." According to him, any possible compromises could only be discussed after a ceasefire is achieved.
The Ukrainian President said there is no time limit for a possible meeting with Putin, and any day or format could be chosen starting from tomorrow. He added that US President Donald Trump could participate in this meeting, and European countries could also assist in the process.
It is known that attempts to establish contact between the two sides had been raised before. According to the Financial Times, Zelenskiy had also sent a message in May via Roman Abramovich proposing a meeting with Putin.
These statements came after Zelenskiy publicly called on Putin on June 4 to set a date and hold talks. Putin responded on June 5 that he had seen the letter but did not see any point in a meeting.
The Russian leader also claimed that Zelenskiy sent a message for talks through a Russian businessman. Zelenskiy’s latest remarks indicate that diplomatic efforts to end the war continue.
